Foldable stepladder



Aug. 3, 1937.

G. H. STOGNER 2,088,878

FOLDABLE STEPLADDER Filed Sept. 3, 1956 2 Sheeis-Sheet 2' Inventor Attorneys Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES 'rATE NT "O FF-ICE 2,088,878 FOLDABLE STEPLADDER" George H. .S togner, Moultrieville, S. I 0. Application September 3, 1936, Serial No. 99,291 2 Claims. (o1. 228-37) This invention relates to improvements in "folding stepladders and more particularly to that type of folding stepladder having hinged sectiohal steps which permit the uprights of the ladder to be folded inwardly toward one another.

An object of the present. invention is to improve generally upon the type of stepladder mentioned and the invention together with its objects and advantages will be .best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:--

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a stepladder embodying the features of the present invention, the ladder being shown in extended position. e

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the ladder in folded position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the legs and folding brace therefor.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the steps and the side rails of the ladder with the step in fully extended position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view through a step in partially folded position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the hinge connection between a step section and one of the side rails of the ladder.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view taken substantially at right angles to Figure 6 and Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of one of the side rails and step viewed from the inner side thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it

will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the improved stepladder comprises a pair of sides or rails 5--5, properly spaced apart, and connected by steps as shown.

The sides 5 have associated therewith supporting legs 6 which are hingedly associated with the sides at the upper ends thereof as at I. (See Figure 8.)

Each leg 6 has pivoted thereto as at In one end of a brace member 9, the other end of which brace member is hinged as at 8 to a section I8 of the upper step I! of the ladder and as will be clear from a study of Figures 1 and 8. Brace members 9 will thus serve to transmit movement of the step sections to the supporting legs 6 incidental to a folding or unfolding of the ladder so that these legs 6 will extend or fold in a somewhat automatic manner and without requireing the use of the hands for extending or folding the legs 6 relative to the remaining part of the ladder.

Adjacent the lower ends thereof the legs 6 are connected together through the medium of a foldab-le brace, which latter, as shownin Figure 3, comprises a pair of sections I2, I3, pivotally connected together as at I4 and respectively pivoted at one end to a leg 6 as at I5. At the V hinge joint I4 .therebetween one of the brace sections, in the present instance the brace sec,- tion I2 is provided with anofiset longitudinally extended lip or projection I6 which engages the adjacent end of the section I3 when the brace is in fully extended position, the projection I5 thus acting as a stop for limiting the movement of the sections I2, I3 to extended position.

The steps of the ladder, with the exception of the uppermost step, are indicated by the reference numeral I6, the uppermost step being indi-- cated by the reference numeral I1.

Each of the steps I6, I! comprises a pair of sections Ill-48. Each of the sections I8 is substantially channel-shaped in cross section and the outer ends of the sections of steps I6 are pivoted to the sides 5 as indicated generally at I9 while the outer ends of the sections of step I? are pivoted to the upper ends of the sides 5 as indicated generally at 20. The outer ends of the sections I8 of step I! are laterally reduced so as to be accommodated in notches 2I provided therefor in the upper ends of the sides as suggested clearly in Figure 8.

Each of the hinges I9 includes a pair of substantially inverted L-shaped brackets or plates 22 set in the outer edges of the sides 5 and secured to the sides by screws or other fastening elements with the lateral arms of the plates or brackets projecting inwardly to accommodate therebetween an adjacent end of a step section I8 as shown in Figure 6. Said arms of the bracket plates 22 are suitably apertured, and each step section 88 has the side flanges thereof suitably apertured to accommodate a hinge bolt I 9 as als will be clear from a study of Figure 6.

Also each step section IB at the end thereof hinged to a side 5 is, as clearly shown in Figure 7,,pressed upwardly as at law in a manner to accommodate the hinge bolt to the end that when in extended position the sections I8 of the steps will be in a proper plane, while at the same time, when the latter is in the folded condition shown in Figure 2 the sections I8 of the respective steps will so fold relative to one another as to lie in planes truly perpendicular and consequently will not project outwardly from between the sides of the ladder. In other words, provision is made to insure against any parts of the ladder projecting therefrom when the ladder is folded to the end that, when in folded condition, the ladder may be stored withina comparatively small To facilitate the folding and unfolding of the steps there is provided at the rear side of the ladder a, vertically disposed bar 23 through the medium of which and the pins or bolts 24- which connect the sections i8 of the respective steps together, the steps 16 and I! are connected together so that said steps can be folded or extended in unison,

In connection with the above it will be understood that the sections [8 of the respective steps at their inner ends are hingedly connected together through the medium of hinge bolts 24, andat said hinge connections one section l8 of each step is suitably downwardly offset as at 25 to provide a seat for the adjacent end 26 of the associated step section I8 whereby provision is made for limiting the movement of the sections 18 to extended position and to provide for the sections of the steps a joint which will be smooth, neat and will present no projection which might tend to trip the user of the ladder.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of a ladder of this character will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:-

1. A stepladder including spaced side members, steps, each including pivotally connected sections pivoted at their outer ends to the side members and adapted to be folded in parallelism between the side members, a bar connecting all of said steps for folding said steps in unison, supporting legs for said side members, hinges connecting the supporting legs to the side members at the upper ends of the latter, and braces pivoted at one end to the supporting legs and at a second end to the sections of the uppermost step for transmitting movement of the sections of said step to said supporting legs.

2. A stepladder including spaced side members, steps, each including pivotally connected sections pivoted at their outer ends to the side members and adapted to be folded in parallelism between the side members, a bar connecting all of said steps for folding said steps in unison, supporting legs for said side members, hinges connecting the supporting legs to the side members at the upper ends of the latter, and braces pivoted at one end to the supporting legs and at a second end to the sections of the uppermost step for transmitting movement of the sections of said step to said supporting legs, and a brace for the supporting legs, comprising a pair of pivotally connected sections pivoted at one end to said legs.

GEORGE H. STOGN'ER. 

